Lost Treasure

Clay Cantrell Mystery Adventure #1

by Bruce Wetterau

Clay Cantrell and his partner Mac Harper are restoring a 200-year-old mansion when they discover a dusty old journal, a Confederate captain’s diary that points the way to a horde of Confederate gold coins locked in three strongboxes. Coins that today will be worth millions, if the horde can be found.
The son of well-to-do parents, Clay Cantrell is not your ordinary contractor. An ex-Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has returned to his hometown of Staunton, Virginia, and everyday civilian life. He restores old houses for a living now, but can’t quite shake a nagging itch for adventure. So a treasure hunt is a stroke of luck tailormade for Clay. The adventure takes an ominous turn, though, when Clay is charged with murder, even as he, Mac, and a third friend hunt for the treasure.
Lost Treasure alternates between this modern-day treasure hunt-murder mystery and flashbacks to the Confederate captain’s story. The captain commands a secret Confederate supply depot, hidden deep inside a cavern in the wilds of Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. That’s where the Confederates put the treasure for safekeeping in the last months of the Civil War, and where the fate of the captain’s command was sealed.
What really happened in that cavern 150 years ago? Who is trying to frame Clay for a murder he didn’t commit? Will Clay and company find the treasure?
A first novel by accomplished nonfiction author Bruce Wetterau, Lost Treasure is the first book in the Clay Cantrell series. It's a fast-paced, tightly plotted mystery adventure that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Genres: Mystery

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2012

About the author

The Clay Cantrell mystery adventure series marked a new departure for me, what amounted to my third career. I spent over twenty years as a reference book author--eventually publishing eleven reference books. Since then I've spent another twenty years buying and renovating old houses in Virginia. With Lost Treasure: Clay Cantrell Mystery Adventure #1, published in 2012, I finally realized my dream of writing novels.

It’s been one of those long, winding roads to here. Starting out on it many years ago, I was a young, would-be novelist looking for experience. Now, well into my seventies, I’m just looking for time enough to write my novels.

To date I have written three mystery-thriller novels for the Clay Cantrell series: Lost Treasure; Killer Fog--The Veil of Mist Shrouds a Deadly Conspiracy; and The Girl Behind the Wall--Edgar Allan Poe, the Girl, and the Mysterious Raven Murders. I am currently at work on a fourth, The Nine Lives of Harry Bellamy, Counterfeiter.

And, yes, I'm still renovating houses.

Reviews

[Kathleen Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and that portion of the book - the map, the soldiers diary, and search for the treasure were my favorite parts and I wish there was more of that in the book. I had a hard time getting into the storyline about the other happenings to Clay and Mac.

[Nancy Steinle gummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Treasure by Bruce Wetterau sucks you right in from the beginning. It's such an interesting book. It delves into historical fiction reading the diary entries of lost Confederate gold coins. There is a murder mystery, arson and drug dealers to keep you occupied. Then there's the actual search for the treasure with plenty of obfuscation. There is a slight romance in there too between Clay Cantrell and Suzanne. There is something for everyone in this book.

[G.F. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost Treasure
By Bruce Wetterau

I must say I was surprised by this book; I honestly didn’t expect it to be so good, in many ways. I suppose it was a pre-judgment on my part. I am an author of a series, and I know how much work goes into plotting, character development, story layers, etc. I won this book in a give-a-way contest, and having been so fortunate, and curious, I researched the author, Bruce Wetterau.

This is his first try at writing fiction, though he has written numerous reference books. I suppose this is why I pre-judged it—first attempt at fiction, used to writing reference stuff: facts, info, history, etc. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

This book has an interesting and believable plot line; it is laid out well; it has likable characters that hold to their characterization throughout the work, which also makes them believable; and, I must say the periodic sparks, and hooks, and twists Bruce interweaves into the story kept me wondering and guessing. It also offers up a more than decent, nicely-paced, twisting, and fulfilling ending as well.

This work reminded me of the “National Treasure” movies, along with many elements of a few of Clive Cussler’s adventure novels, of which I also enjoyed.

I can also see the characters in future works and adventures, and I find myself pondering the possibilities. I will read more of this author.

Nice work, Bruce! Please, let me know when your next installment as been released.

G. F. Smith
www.gfsmithbooks.com

ParallaxParallax

Eye of God

The PredicateThe Predicate

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a great adventure story. Who doesn't? This filled the bill. With a storyline that perhaps could be plausible, the author takes us on a little tour of civil war history and immerses us in a vignette from a different angle - well, different for me, anyway. While doing that, he gets the reader dreaming about finding the mother lode. Along with his main characters, I found myself imagining what I would do if I ran across the proverbial "treasure map". Would I really be up for an adventure like that? Particularly, when "Things Start To Happen"?
Speaking of characters - this, I believe, was the one weakness of the story. I found the characters to be a little shallow and, frankly, not that likeable. The women served the purpose of providing sex and cooking skills. The men were...well, money, sex and food motivated. I would have liked them to have a little more depth...at least to give me a clue as to why the women would be remotely interested in them. Anyway, it was still a good read and the adventure part was very well-written - to the point of making me claustrophobic while reading the cave scenes! Not saying more than that. Read it yourself!
I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Read giveaway program.

[Joshua Macer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodread's giveaway!

This book drew me in right from the beginning! I didn't want to put this thing down.
I don't want to give anything away so without further ado: GO READ IT!
I highly recommend this book
5 stars

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK.

[Bryan Bunch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an action-mystery with the emphasis on the action. From the first, I was interested in where this story was going and read enthusiastically as the mysteries deepened. Although I am somewhat nervous about being in caves, the scenes under the earth's surface were particularly engrossing and suspenseful. Even though this is listed as #1 in a series, it was not until the very end that I could find out what happened, no matter how I guessed (usually I can foresee the ending of a book, often even near the beginning. Now I am looking forward to #2 in the series, especially since I cannot imagine what will happen to the hero next.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via the Goodreads First-reads program.